Le culte du lion en Égypte d'après Elien

The cult of the lion is well known in Egypt because of its importance. Indeed the animal gave its characteristics to several essential deities from the Egyptian pantheon. But this devotion reached its peak from the Ptolemaic period onwards, we know it not only thanks to direct sources, but also thanks to indirect sources. Among these ones, the classical authors passed precious information on to us. Aelian who was an author from the second century after Jesus Christ, handed a work down upon the life and behaviour of the animals called Περì Zᾡω ΄Ιδιότητος which is often translated by About the personality of the animals. In this book, he speaks at length upon the cult of the feline. Thanks to this author, associated with other sources, we can try to understand better why the lion was worshipped.